Dr. Farouk El-Okdah, WG'81

Business Experience

Dr. Farouk El Okdah has been the Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt since December 2003. He was the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of the NATIONAL BANK OF EGYPT from January 2003 till December 2003.. He has acquired 19 years of banking experience from 1983- 2002 working with IRVING TRUST COMPANY- NEW YORK; where he has worked as an Assistant Vice President for Middle East Division and as a Vice President and Africa District Manager; and THE BANK OF NEWYORK where he occupied several positions among which are; Vice President and Regional Manager- MiddleEast, Vice President for Bank of New York Leasing Corp. and Advisor for The Bank of New York. Dr. El Okdah was the Managing Director of THE INTERNATIONAL COMPANY FOR LEASING “INCOLEASE” from 1997-2002. In addition Dr. El Okdah worked as an instructor in Accounting and Finance for THE WHARTON SCHOOL-UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA from1978-1982. In 1978, he was nominated by THE WHARTON SCHOOL to serve as a consultant for INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CORPORATION (IFC); THE WORLD BANK.

More over, Dr. El Okdah has been a member of the Board of Directors of Egypt Air- Holding Co. since 1998. He served as an advisor to the Governor of Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) from 1998-2001. Dr. El Okdah is a member of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Banking Federation and used to be a member of the Board of Directors and Treasurer of the ARAB BANKERS ASSOCIATION-NORTH AMERICA from 1987 to1989.

Educational Background

Along with a B.S. in Commerce- Accounting Major from CAIRO UNIVERSITY,
Dr. El Okdah has acquired two Master degrees, Master of Accounting (with honors) from CAIRO UNIVERSITY in 1975 and Master of Business Administration (Finance) from THE WHARTON SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA in 1981. In 1983 he has achieved his PhD. in Business and Applied Economics from THE WHARTON SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Personal Data

Dual Egyptian and U.S.A. citizenship…Fluent in Arabic and English…Enjoys traveling, music and squash…Born 1946 Married, two children.